Baby it's Cold Outside
by DeenaTweety
Summary: A dream, a storm, and a bowl of spiked punch. A Gai/Tenten challenge from v-quez!


**A/N:**

Okay so this is an important author's note! :) This was a Gai/Tenten challenge from my good friend **v-quez** that I was supposed to finish like… forever ago! It was supposed to be a straight up lemon, but I'll be honest… I totally chickened out. I have never written a lemon before! But I tried my best to push my limits and here we sit at a soft M rating. I love readin' the lemons but writing them is a whole other ballgame! O.O (in other words, DeenaTweety is a big wimp)

Anyway, I hope you enjoy this little fic! It may be a little sappy and I did have some trouble, but… I'm pretty proud of it! Please enjoy!

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><p>"Oh, Tenten," Gai's voice was a low whisper, almost a pant, "you are the most beautiful woman in the world."<p>

"You're just saying that," she replied, her voice breathy, her mouth turned up in a blissful smile. His hands felt so wonderful, his kisses were absolute bliss.

"No, I really mean it," he promised, moaning when her hands combed through his shiny black hair. "Oh, my sweet flower. You are truly divine…"

She closed her eyes and let out a sigh, the glow of love tinting her cheeks. "Oh, Gai …"

"How can you call me that?" The deep tenor of Gai's voice was suddenly replaced with the slightly higher pitch of Rock Lee's. She yelped and her eyes snapped open.

"Lee, what are you doing here!?" For some reason, she didn't shove him off. He was naked, though, and something in her brain was telling her that that was probably not a good thing. This was not a thing she was supposed to be doing.

"Don't call me Lee, darling. My name is Neji," the man on top of her replied. She took a really good look at his face then—he was a creepy combination of Gai-sensei, Lee, and Neji. Now she was starting to get a little freaked out.

"Uh, um, what?" she asked dumbly, too shocked to get away from the creature that she was currently in the throes of passion with.

"We're all going to get married," the three voices of her teammates chanted, giving her a creepy smile and squeezing her breast. "We'll all be together forever and ever and—"

With a yelp, her eyes snapped open and she jolted straight up out of bed. She looked around wildly, confused but relieved about the absence of the 'Team Gai' monster she'd just been having sex with. She let out a shaky breath, safe in the knowledge that it had all been just a dream.

She rubbed her eyes and tried not to reflect on the awful images that had been going through her mind (and most definitely trying to forget about the psychological aspect of all that, she just could not go there right now). What had started out as a perfectly good sex dream about her sensei had warped into something totally bizarre and she didn't even want to ponder on what all _that_ was supposed to mean.

She lay back down on her bed, rubbing her temples to combat the oncoming headache.

A dream-induced headache wasn't the best way to start the day, but since she couldn't fall back asleep she'd decided to get up early and do some chores. Maybe that would get her mind off of the fevered images her brain had produced in the course of her sleep. Of course, it didn't work—usually her dreams weren't so messed up, and she couldn't help but dwell on this one in particular as she organized her pantry.

_Ugh, Gai-sensei,_ she thought, wishing that she could forget all of the creepy feelings she'd developed for him. "He's way too old for you," she told herself out loud as she tossed a box of expired cereal into the trash.

It had started years ago, probably long before she'd even realized it. Her inappropriate crush had begun with one simple, innocent decision: if she was ever to get married or have a serious relationship, it would be with someone who was a lot like Gai. It was a pretty reasonable thing to think, after all; he was kind, smart, strong, caring… Sure, the enthusiasm could get a little overbearing. Okay, _really_ overbearing (she supposed that he was an acquired taste). She didn't see herself getting serious with a guy, but if she did, she would have liked to find someone with those good qualities.

She'd realized too late what that type of thinking had snowballed into. Now she was a single, twenty-something kunoichi who couldn't hold down a serious relationship because she had some kind of weird complex with her former sensei. She compared all of her dates to him (which really wasn't fair because he was so perfect and _ugh she was doing it again!_).

She'd spent long hours wondering if this meant something psychologically. Did she like him because she didn't have a father figure growing up? Was it an authority thing?

She'd quit psychoanalyzing herself a long time ago to keep her sanity. She liked him—maybe more than liked him, plain and simple. And since it was obvious nothing was going to happen, _ever_, she'd resolved to get over it. Besides, if he ever found out about how she felt about him, he'd probably pass out, or be disgusted, or hate himself or do something totally over-the-top and unreasonable. He'd never look at her the same again. And that was her worst fear.

The problem was, though, that since she'd made up her mind she'd been sort of miserable. The more she tried to force him out of her mind, the more he occupied it. She was being subtle about avoiding him—being careful not to be alone with him, making sure she was unavailable on days where Team Gai decided to get together and catch up. But he seemed to be everywhere.

She tried to go on as usual, never letting anyone in on her secret. Normally she wasn't so tight-lipped when it came to romance, but she knew that this was something she could never reveal to anyone. She couldn't risk the friendship and camaraderie she'd developed with Gai-sensei, even if it meant that he'd always see her as a little girl.

"You're an idiot," she said out loud, stewing in her self-contempt. "So stupid."

"Who's stupid?"

She whirled around out of her chair and flung an expired package of ramen at her surprise intruder. An indignant Yamanaka Ino easily batted the food away before it could make impact.

"Can't you use the front door?!" Tenten gasped, one hand on her rapidly beating heart. Ino sighed.

"It's not like I was sneaking around," the blond defended, one hand on her hip. "I knocked but you didn't answer. I knew you were home and I'm not going to let you blow me off for lunch!"

Tenten's eyes widened in surprise. Had she really been brooding so hard that she didn't even hear the knock on her door? God, she was pathetic.

"Sorry!" she apologized, trying to scramble out of her angst as quickly as possible. She didn't need Ino asking questions.

"So, who're you mad at?" Ino asked, examining her nails. "A guy?"

"Nooo," Tenten replied.

"Oh, come on," her friend said, following her into her room while she searched for something to wear for the day. "Only a guy could have you all angsty like that. So spill, who is it?"

"Nothing, it's just me. I let all that food expire," she lied. Ino rolled her eyes and sat on her bed, covering eyes so that Tenten could change in relative privacy.

"Sure," she drew out the word in case Tenten didn't know she was being sarcastic. Still, she knew that she wouldn't tell her anything if she pushed too hard. "So, lunch. You want barbeque?"

"Yeah," she nodded.

"Sakura wanted to come, too, so I told her she could tag along. Is that okay? Then we're all going to get ready together."

"Of course she can come," Tenten chirped. "Wait. Get ready for what?"

Ino gaped at her. "Are you serious? For the party tonight! How could you forget?"

The brunette groaned. _The party._ The big winter celebration she-bang or whatever it was Anko was throwing this year. She was pretty sure it was just an excuse to drink.

"Oh, Ino, I don't think I'm gonna make it," she said quickly. She was in way too bad a mood to go out tonight. Normally she was pretty sociable, but lately she was in a funk and going out just sounded miserable.

She didn't count on Ino's ability to influence her to make bad decisions. Especially when it came to partying. "But you said you'd come, Tenten!" she almost-whined. "Just because you'd rather be brooding alone all night than going to a fun party doesn't mean it's the right decision!"

"No, it's not that…"

"I think Hyuga Neji has rubbed off on you…" It was obvious Ino was baiting her, but she couldn't help it.

"That's not true!" Tenten defended. She loved Neji, but his brooding wasn't a quality she admired.

Ino shrugged as if to say she wasn't so sure. "Look, I don't know what guy has got you all depressed but sitting around your house all day isn't going to help."

Tenten scoffed, "I don't sit around my house all day."

"Alright, maybe you don't," the other woman admitted. "All I'm saying is, if a guy's got your panties in a twist you should be trying to get him off your mind. By drinking."

She was about to protest, but she stopped herself. Actually, at this point, it didn't sound like such a bad idea. She'd tried just about everything else to forget him, so what was the harm in getting totally and completely smashed?

Okay, she knew it was a foolish and extremely temporary solution, but she was getting kind of desperate at this point.

"You're right," Tenten said, a new determination in her voice. Ino's face lit up. "Let's go get wasted tonight."

Her plan to get drunk was not turning out as she'd hoped.

In fact, she'd only had one glass of wine since the evening had started, which was certainly not enough to push her into the state she wanted to be in.

The party had started out well enough. Almost everyone was there, including her teammates. Lee, as always, was excited and searching for Sakura. Neji looked like he really didn't want to be there, and Gai was at the bar trying to instigate Kakashi into some kind of horrible challenge that involved martini olives. She was actually having a pretty good time socializing with Shino and Hinata in the quieter corner of the room, enjoying the company of her low-key co-workers.

It was actually a pretty average party, and she'd been looking forward to executing her terrible drinking plan. _Yes,_ she'd thought with relish, _I'm going to be _that girl_ tonight. The really drunk mess that everyone looks at and feels sorry for._

Somewhere around ten o'clock, the night had spiraled into a liquor-fuelled disaster.

Not only did her own peers attend Anko's party, but a few of the genin students had as well. When she'd first noticed the gaggle of 13-year olds in the corner, she had wondered how they'd happened to score an invite. There was alcohol at this party, so who had told them they could come? She quickly decided it didn't matter, though—it wasn't as if anyone was going to serve them drinks.

Boy, was she wrong.

She was on her way to the bar to start some serious drinking when she heard a commotion in the corner of the room where the genin had been hanging out. A girl rushed to the restroom as a teen boy's voice yelled, "Ooh, someone spiked the punch!"

And darn it if she hadn't been just about to have a fancy sugary drink. She stared at the sugar-rimmed glass in front of her, an internal debate about whether she should mind her own business or help out a teenage girl raging in her mind. Her conscience won out and she pushed her drink toward Sakura.

"Save that for me," she said with a sigh. The pinkette gave her a thumbs-up and started sipping it. "Never mind!" she said, swiping her drink back.

"Hey!" Sakura protested, a joking smile on her lips.

"I'll take this," Tenten said, feeling a little grouchy. She hadn't overpaid for that drink just to have Haruno Sakura steal it. She'd drink in the bathroom if that's what it took.

* * *

><p>The punch-spiking debacle hadn't gone unnoticed by Maito Gai, and in his opinion it was a very un-youthful thing to do. Not only was the punch ruined (he'd have to make sure Lee didn't get his hands on any or they'd really be in for it) but some poor unassuming young lady was rushing to the restroom. Her look of nausea and the sickly pallor of her skin was a good indicator of what would probably happen next.<p>

Out of the corner of his eye he saw his former student, Tenten, following the young girl into the bathroom to help out. Tears came to his eyes. What a remarkable young woman she was! So kind!

He jumped up out of his chair, eager to see what he could do to help. Once he reached the threshold of the women's restroom, he could hear the sounds of vomiting, and Tenten's soothing voice.

He knocked at the door. "Is there anything I can do to help?" he asked, peeping his head into the doorway. He could see Tenten stick her head out of the stall and give him a sardonic smile. She was currently holding the hair of the young genin, Hana, and cursing whoever still thought it was hilarious to spike punch.

"How about some water, Gai-sensei?"

"Of course! I'll be right back…" He started to back away to get a cup of water from the bar but Tenten called him back.

"No, no, wait! Here, just dump this out into the sink and fill it up with water," she said quickly, holding her still-full margarita glass up. She didn't want to waste any time; she was getting sick just from watching the poor girl throw up.

Gai reluctantly inched into the women's restroom—this was uncharted territory. "No one is in here, just us," she sighed, thrusting her cup out to him once more.

He made quick work of rinsing out the glass, and he watched his ex-student with fascination as she helped the genin take modest sips of water and soothed her with a gentle back scratch. Watching her beside the younger girl reminded him of how much she'd grown—she looked so mature and elegant. She was no longer an awkward teenager, but a beautiful young lady instead. His heart ached for the shortest of seconds. As her former teacher and an older man, he had to be satisfied with admiring her from afar.

He usually managed to avoid viewing her as a woman for too long, but the moments that he did left him terrified.

She looked up at him once again with those big brown eyes, her face indecipherable.

"I want to go home," Hana whimpered. Tenten looked back at the young girl and stroked her hair. The moment had passed.

"I can take you home, sweetheart," she offered, sounding tired and defeated. She looked back up at him. "Wanna help me out, sensei?"

In just a few moments Hana was pulled effortlessly out of the stall by Gai, and Tenten brushed the teenager's hair out of her face as soon as she was securely in his arms. He felt his heart touched by the innocuous gesture. Even when she was frustrated, she was caring and kind.

"Her parents are gonna be thrilled," she deadpanned. "I think I know where she lives. Are you sure you're alright with leaving the party, Gai-sensei?"

"Of course! Helping out a young girl in the springtime of youth is more important than any party!" Gai replied, sounding scandalized that she had even asked. Tenten smiled tiredly.

"Alright, let's get going then."

Halfway to Hana's house, it started snowing.

_Oh great_, Tenten thought, hugging her too-light jacket closer to her body. Gai looked completely unaffected by the cold; in fact he was still wearing his normal green jumpsuit.

"It's really starting to come down," Tenten commented as they tried to speed up. They couldn't go too fast lest she got sick again.

"I think I can walk, you guys," Hana said weakly, clearly embarrassed that she had to be carried home by the Green Beast of Konoha and the Blossom of Team Gai.

"Nonsense!" Gai declared, making Hana flinch and Tenten snicker. "It would be ungentlemanly not to carry you! Do not worry, soon we'll be back at your house and you can rest and restore your youth!"

The genin only groaned in response.

Once they reached the pathway to Hana's house, Gai set her down and the two jounin kept an eye on her as she wobbled to her front door.

"Thanks for helping me, Tenten-san, Gai-san," the young girl said as she shut the door. "Get home safe."

Tenten gave her a small wave and Gai gave her a wide smile, the glint of his teeth nearly blinding in the dark of the night.

Tenten turned to look at him, feeling tired and cold. She felt so trounced that she could almost forget that she was alone with him—something she'd been avoiding lately. "I'd better get home before the snow gets too much, Gai-sensei. Are you going back to the party?"

"What kind of person would I be not to walk you home, Tenten-chan?" he asked, his winning smile still on his face.

"Oh, uh, you don't have to do that," she replied with a breathy laugh, hoping to avoid a situation like that. Why did he have to be so _nice_? "My house isn't far—"

"No arguments," he cut her off cheerfully. "Besides, it wouldn't be right to let you walk home alone in this weather."

"Okay," she agreed, knowing that once he made up his mind he wasn't going to let it go. Thinking quickly, she said, "I know! Let's race there!" That way they wouldn't spend so much time walking together. She didn't want to risk falling into easy conversation with him—she knew that if she did she would be up all night thinking about it, and she wasn't sure her heart could take it.

The idea of a race lit him up. "Ah, you haven't lost your competitive streak, Tenten! There's a reason you are the One and Only Flower of Team Gai!" Her flushed face was hidden by the dark. "Don't think I'll go easy on you," he warned playfully.

"I was about to say the same," she replied before sprinting off in the direction of her home, doing her best to leave him in her dust. Without looking back to see how close he was, she pushed chakra into her feet and leaped up onto a rooftop—it really was the fastest way to get around.

She could feel him approaching behind her and a laugh bubbled up into her chest as she pushed herself harder to beat him.

Within seconds she could see the roof of her own tiny home. She pushed herself to make it those last few yards and landed on her snow-covered rooftop. He was only a second behind, landing softly with sandaled feet.

"I won!" she exclaimed breathlessly, happy to just have one small victory.

"Excellent, my flower! It seems you've bested me… this time," he gave a wink and she was suddenly drawn out of her pleasure at winning, remembering who she was with and why she'd wanted to race home in the first place.

"And every other time," she replied with a small smile, trying her best to sound playful. She hopped down from the roof and into the snow, eager to get in from the approaching blizzard. "This snow is getting pretty bad," she commented, realizing how harshly the wind was blowing.

"This is where I'll leave you, Tenten-chan," Gai said breathlessly, following close behind her.

"Oh, okay," she answered, hand on her doorknob. "Thanks, Gai-sensei."

"No, thank _you_ for the invigorating race!" he said. "I shall train harder so it won't be so easy for you to beat me next time."

She laughed softly and opened up her door, relishing in the warmth that washed over her from the inside. Frowning, she looked at her sensei. He wasn't wearing anything but his vest over his spandex and she wondered how he wasn't freezing. His home was a ways from here, and he'd have to walk through the blustering snow.

She felt guilty. He'd accompanied her all the way home and she hadn't even had the decency to invite him in for tea or something. "Do you want to come in for a second?" she asked, and immediately regretted it. What was she thinking? Hadn't she resolved not to be caught alone with him?

It was too late to take it back, though, and he looked pleased that she'd invited him in. "Only for a second, if that's alright," he said, trying not to look as eager as he was to get into a warm environment.

And how long had it been since she'd wanted to spend any time with him, he wondered? It was rare to see her at all since she was so busy these days. He didn't want to waste the opportunity to spend time with one of his former charges.

He followed her inside and slipped his sandals off and entered her warm living room. It was cozy and modest, but it was very _Tenten_. Wordlessly, she handed him a fluffy blanket and directed him to sit on the couch.

It was funny how she could read people and know exactly what they needed.

"What kind of tea do you want, sensei? Wait, I know. You want hot chocolate," she guessed as she messed about in the kitchen. "With cream and peppermint." That last part was a quiet murmur and he suddenly felt that something was off once again, like it had been for the past few weeks.

She'd been avoiding him, and of course he'd noticed. It had just been that, for a few minutes as they'd raced, things had felt normal again—simpler, happier. He didn't know why but he could tell that she was withdrawing lately. He could only hope that whatever was on her mind would be worked out and that she'd be happy again.

In a few short minutes she came back with two hot mugs of coco and gave one to him. "Thank you, Tenten-chan," he said.

She smiled and took a sip of her drink. "Yeah, no problem." She let out a deep sigh and relaxed a little. This wasn't so bad. It didn't have to be awkward, she told herself. He was normal, she was normal, there was no crush. This was just a former student and teacher hanging out together with a cup of coco. Just pals, enjoying the warmth of her home.

_Ugh, just pals_, she thought with a sigh. Oh, the angst. She looked up at him and gave what she hoped wasn't a half-hearted grin.

Gai barely touched his hot chocolate as he watched his former student out of the corner of his eye. She was sighing, huffing, and focusing way too much on her drink. Despite what other people may have thought about him, he wasn't ignorant; she was uncomfortable. It hurt, the idea that Tenten would be uncomfortable around him.

"So, Tenten-chan, what have you been up to?" he asked in an effort to break the tension. She looked up at him in surprise, as if she'd forgotten he was there.

"Oh, nothing much," she said with a shrug, "just hanging around here when I'm not on missions. How about you, sensei?"

Soon enough they were talking, and Gai could slowly feel the awkwardness ebbing away. Time seemed to pass quickly while they chatted about everything and anything that crossed their minds. Hope began to blossom in Gai's heart—perhaps the awkwardness he had perceived from Tenten was all in his head and nothing to worry about.

"… and then she just took the drink and started sipping it," she was saying with a laugh, leaning back into the chair she was sitting on and setting her empty mug on the side table. A look of worry crossed her features. "Lee didn't get any of that punch, did he?"

"Not that I know of," Gai replied, thinking of his doppelganger with a fond smile. "I think he knows to avoid the punch bowl."

Tenten couldn't help but laugh, thinking of last year's punch bowl incident. Lee had had one drop and nearly brought down the entire bar. Why didn't people realize that the punch is almost always spiked?

Before she knew it, Gai was standing in the middle of her living room and adjusting his jounin vest. "Thank you for your hospitality, my wonderful student! The hot chocolate was revitalizing! I'll race home now—maybe I'll beat my own record!" He gave her a classic smile and his teeth _pinged!_

She walked him to the door but when she opened it, a huge gust of wind blew inside along with some loose snow. She slammed the door shut and took a deep breath. "Holy hell!" she exclaimed, her eyes wide.

The blizzard outside was raging on as powerful as ever. Snowstorms were rare in Konoha, but when they came they came with a vengeance. The snow had climbed up more than a few inches as they were socializing in her living room.

"I'll have to be extra careful as I travel home tonight," Gai murmured under his breath, bracing himself to brave the cold winter weather. "Good night, Tenten-chan. Thank you for the hot chocolate, I'll be sure to repay you—"

"Yeah, right!" she interrupted him, her eyes wide. "You can't go out in that! You'll get pneumonia if you don't get lost in the snow." She heaved a sigh and slanted up against the door. "You can stay on my couch tonight if you want."

He wasn't sure how to respond to that offer. She was right that it was a risk to wander outside, but she looked so reluctant to offer him her couch.

"No arguments," she said with a playful smile and a wink, throwing his earlier words back at him. "Anyway, I'd never forgive myself if my old sensei was found dead in the snow."

"Your generosity is always great, Tenten," he said with genuine appreciation. "Are you sure? I wouldn't want to impose on you…"

She rolled her eyes and made her way to her linen closet to pull out some extra blankets. "It's no big deal," she said, heaving them onto the couch. "Just one pillow, right?"

He nodded, surprised again at how she knew so much about him. How he liked his hot chocolate, how many pillows he slept with. Then again, she had spent countless hours with him on team missions and training, so it shouldn't have been unexpected.

He watched quietly as she fluffed a pillow and made the blankets on the couch. For the second time that night he was struck at how grown up and pretty she was, how it really was something that a beautiful young lady would be making a couch-bed for him—and he immediately reprimanded himself for those thoughts. She was a young woman who used to be his very own student and he felt so old, already well into his thirties.

"There, all made," she said, patting the pillow one last time for good measure. "I think I'm going to hit the hay, though. If you get hungry you can feel free to rummage through the pantry. I just cleaned it out today—" She abruptly stopped talking, remembering why she had felt compelled to clean out her cabinets in the first place. She'd been trying to get her mind off of him, and here he was, standing in her living room and getting ready for bed.

She really must have been cursed. The more she tried to forget him, the closer he got.

"Tenten, are you okay?" he asked. She blinked and realized that he was standing closer than he was before, a concerned expression on his face.

"Uh, yeah," she said, and wasn't surprised when he didn't look convinced. "I'm just really tired. It's been kind of a crazy night."

"If you're sure," he replied, for once not resorting to his usual flowery language to ask her what was _really_ wrong.

_A small blessing,_ she thought. "I'm off to bed. Good night." She turned to make her way down the short hallway to her bedroom.

"Have youthful dreams, Tenten-chan!" he said, not sounding as enthusiastic as he normally did. She stopped short in the hallway. He could have been just tired, but that lack of energy was enough to make her worry. She turned back toward the living room, where he was sitting on the couch and getting ready to sleep.

"Um… are you alright, sensei?" she asked, carefully edging back into the living room. She half expected him to wave her off and tell her that he was fine, but instead he gave her a solemn look. She could recognize it anywhere: that somber 'sensei face' that he rarely showed them unless he was being dead serious.

"Tenten," he said, his deep baritone voice seeming to echo through the quiet house. "I've noticed that you have been quiet and withdrawn lately. I'm just worried that _you_ are not feeling okay."

The words froze her to the spot, and all she could do was gawk at him in the middle of the room with her arms crossed. "Um, I…"

He continued on in the same serious fashion. "I haven't seen you at our team lunches lately and it seems like you've been avoiding something." Her eyes grew wide as saucers at that. How could she have thought he wouldn't notice? She was so stupid!

"No, it's not that," she said quietly. He gave her a short nod and his voice turned soft.

"I'm not only your former teacher, Tenten, but I am also your friend," he said, his face kind and concerned. "If something is bothering you… you can tell me and I'll do my best to understand."

She couldn't move for a few moments after he spoke. She felt frozen, unsure of what to say. Wildly she wondered if he would try to understand if she told him her feelings for him. She looked at him closely now, at his face and his posture, trying to figure out what he was thinking.

He'd known that she was avoiding something, and he probably suspected it was him. Suddenly he seemed more vulnerable and even a little hurt. How could anyone be more perfect? He had always treated her well—from the time she was just a genin until now. He had always been kind to her, Lee and Neji, and to all of his friends and colleagues. But who was there to worry about him?

Gai watched the expressions on her face shift as he spoke, and now she looked simply overcome. He was surprised when, with tears in her eyes, she crouched down in front of him and wrapped her slender arms around him. She was quiet, her face buried in his neck, her shoulders shaking.

"Tenten…?"

"I'm sorry," she sniffed. He hugged her back carefully, worried at her sudden and unexpected reaction.

"You have nothing to apologize for," he told her gently.

She decided, then and there, that she would end her campaign of avoidance. Even if it hurt, it was still better than seeing him worry on her behalf. The last thing she'd ever wanted was to make him feel like he had done something to upset her. Her feelings for him were her problem—if she couldn't handle them it was her own fault.

She pulled back a little to look into his eyes. "Everything is okay, really," she said, using one hand to wipe her eyes. He looked worried and bewildered, so she pulled him into another, tighter hug. She held him tight and breathed him in and for just a moment she pretended that he really understood how she felt.

Inhaling and exhaling one last time, she pulled away and wiped the wetness off of her cheeks again. "Everything's fine now. It really is," she said shakily, offering him a weak smile.

"Tenten…" He wasn't sure what to say. Her breakdown was so sudden that he couldn't help but think that something was _definitely_ wrong. She ran a thumb across his cheek, a gentle touch, and his eyes widened. She leaned in close once again and brushed her lips against his in what felt like the softest kiss he'd ever been given.

"That's all I needed," she murmured once she'd pulled away, letting her nose touch his. She grasped his shoulders as if afraid he would push her away. She'd just given away her biggest secret, but she felt better than she had in months. She felt so relieved, even with the possibility of rejection.

He was still shocked, looking at her face and letting her hold onto him. The sensible side of his brain told him to push her away—she was way too young for a guy like him! He was 13 years her senior. It would be selfish to let her waste time on him. But… wasn't this what he wanted? Wasn't this what he kept himself from dreaming about?

He had to do the right thing, but it was so difficult. "Tenten… you don't want to waste your youth on me," he said. He wished he had the willpower to pull away from her, but his mind was clouded by her smell and her touch. She actually laughed— a light, small chuckle.

"It wouldn't be a waste," she said firmly. She looked hopeful, and he felt terrible. She wasn't the one who should be asking him for a chance—of all people, she was the most worthy of love. He should have been the one convincing _her_ that _he_ was worth a shot!

"Are you sure?" he asked. If he kissed her now, there would be no going back. As his one and only female student, she'd had him wrapped around her finger for a very long time. If she wanted it, his heart was hers.

"Yes," she said breathlessly before kissing him once more.

She wasn't sure if this was another dream. Was this real? Was she really, truly kissing the man of her dreams on her couch right now? He pulled away for a short second and disappointment set in. Had he changed his mind?

She squeaked when he pulled her up from her crouched position in front of him and onto the couch, flipping her onto her back. They were pressed tightly together, chest to chest, hips to hips.

She inhaled sharply as he pressed his lips against hers in a deep, tender kiss, and it was so much better than any fantasy she'd ever had. His hands were everywhere, stroking her hair, running down her waist and through her hair. His fingers entwined with hers and held her hands, pressing them to her side.

She rolled her hips upward and ground against him, relishing in the low rumble that came from his chest. He moved from her mouth to her jaw to her neck, one large hand moving to rest on her ribcage just below her breast. Heat pooled in her stomach and desire clouded her brain—she wanted so badly for him to touch her breasts, touch her everywhere. She rolled her hips once more, testing his limit.

He nipped at her collarbone in response and she let out a shuddering breath—she should have known that he wouldn't disappoint. She shut her eyes and let herself become lost in the sensations, the closeness of it all.

"Tenten…" Rather than let him speak, she captured his lips in another deep kiss, cradling his jaw like he was precious. He felt his heart break at the tenderness of it all.

"I know," she murmured against his lips. She knew that she couldn't take it as far as she wanted right now—that they would have to wait, at least for a little while. But that didn't mean she couldn't steal one last kiss.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:**

Ahhh okay that is it! I just had to get this out there finally. *wipes sweat off brow*

I hope you enjoyed this. Please be gentle with me, because I've been debating with myself over this fic for literally months! I know it ends a little abruptly, but I truly had no idea how to wrap it up. I hope it satisfies the challenge requires, my dear **v-quez**!


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